Picnic Table in the Park

[good4somethingbum]

Picnic Table in the ParkHe stepped off the crosstown, with his bag of crumbsTilted his old felt hat, toward the morning sunWalked past water fountains, pines and big Doug FirsTapped his hearing aid twice, listening for the birdsNear the picnic table in the parkWhere young Tarzans played on monkey barsNew mom’s pushin’ strollers down flagstone pathsMan playin’ fetch with his collie in the grassPig-tail girl trading half her Almond JoyFor one of her brother’s Tonka toysTwo names and Cupid’s arrow through a heartOn the picnic table in the parkThen he heard bulldozers, where his day once bloomedSign on a daisy hill said, “strip mall coming soon”He dropped his bag of crumbs and, lost them on the windCos only crows of sadness, sang there now for himNear the picnic table in the parkFleabag hound scratching on rough tree barkChildren laughing all the way down the spiral slideKid playin’ hooky with his new box kiteBlue hairs on benches with their knitting and prunesTrading gossip and coupons all afternoonLittle girls putting ladybugs in Jiffy jarsBy the picnic table in the parkWindows on his bus ride home, filled with memoriesDays blown by winds of change, like November leavesNear the picnic table in the parkThe picnic table in the park…©2007 Robert George